DIALECTFALL 2015

COMMUNITY LIVING’S NEW LOOK | CHURCHBRIDGE & ELLEN BIRCH | Q & A WITH THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES | 2015 BREAKFAST

M A G A Z I N E O F T H E S A S K A T C H E W A N A S S O C I A T I O N F O R C O M M U N I T Y L I V I N G

MEET INCLUSION HERO MEGAN ALLARD

THE POWER OF

ONE PERSONONE PERSON

4 CONTENTS

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT & THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

THE POWER OF ONE PERSONCanadian Down Syndrome Hero talks about her work in the community of Spiritwood.

INCLUSION IS CHURCHBRIDGEMeet the winner of the Inclusion School Award: Churchbridge Public School.

DONATE CLOTHES CHANGE LIVESCommunity Living has an exciting new look! Find out more about the DCCL campaign and meet the people behind the yellow bins.

Q & A WITH THE MINISTRYThe Ministry of Social Services answers our questions about their Disability Strategy, SAID, and working with the community to create change.

THE 2015 INCLUSION BREAKFASTThis year’s Breakfast was an incredible experience for all involved. Check out some of the highlights here.

EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH FRIENDSHIPSee how our Self-Advocate retreats are build-ing friendships.

MY DREAM JOBThe SACL helps Jerad get a job at SaskTel

CELEBRATING INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT

BIRCH TO THE RESCUEMeet the SACL’s 2015 Inclusion Teacher of the year.

FEATURES

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20COMMUNITY LIVING

18 EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH FRIENDSHIPSee how our Self-Advocate retreats are building friendships and changing lives forever.

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MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT 5

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT AND THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR - GLORIA MAHUSSIER & KEVIN MCTAVISH At the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living (SACL), we believe that inclusion is a basic right that we should all have. But despite progress in achieving equal rights under the law, there are still many areas of exclusion in the practical experience of individuals with intellectual disabilities. By working together and giving back to our communities, we can move past these problem areas of exclusion and build a more inclu-sive society that better supports individuals with intellectual disability and their families throughout the province. In this Dialect you will learn about Community Living, which for 25 years has engaged with communities throughout Saskatchewan on its mission to recycle clothing in order to support the work of the SACL. You will also read about the incredible achievements of Megan Allard, a young woman from Spiritwood who is changing her community through her passion for helping others. None of this is possible without the generosity of our sponsors and Inclusion Champions, whose support resonated at our 5th Annual Inclusion Breakfast this October 1st. We are grateful to these donors and our dedicated Board mem-bers and Staff, who are giving back to the community and showing how inclusion works.

THE SASKATCHEWAN ASSOCIATION FOR COMMUNITY LIVING (SACL) IS A NON-PROFIT ORGANIZATION THAT OFFERS SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES.

SACL’S VISIONAll individuals are valued, supported, and included in all as-pects of life.

SACL’S MISSIONIs to ensure that citizens of Saskatchewan who have intellectual disabilities are valued, supported, and included members of society and have opportunities and choices in all aspects of life.

Canadian Publications Mail Agreement No. 40063438

Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to:

Saskatchewan Association For Community Living3031 Louise StreetSaskatoon, SKS7J 3L1

SACL BOARD OF DIRECTORS SACL PROVINCIAL OFFICE3031 Louise StreetSaskatoon, SK, S7J 3L1

Phone: (306) 955-3344Email: sacl@sacl.orgWebsite: www.sacl.org

PHOTO CREDITS

DESIGN & LAYOUT BY:Travis Neufeld

Cover Photo & Megan Allard: Matt Smith

Community Living: Travis Neufeld

Inclusion Breakfast: Sheila Anderson

Empowering Friendship: Bonnie Cherewyk

Dialect is a published three times a year by the Saskatche-wan Association for Community Living. The Dialect is funded in part by the Saskatchewan Parks and Recreation Association.

Dialect is owned and published by the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living (SACL). The publisher, authors, and contributors reserve their rights in regards of copyright of their work. All articles, stories, interviews and other materials in Dialect are the copyright of Dia-lect, or are reproduced with permission from other copyright owners. All rights reserved. No articles, stories, interviews and other materials may otherwise by copies, modified, published, broadcast or otherwise distributed without the prior permission of the SACL. No person, orga-nization, or party should rely or on any way act upon any part of the contents of this publication whether that information is sourced from a website, magazine or related product without first obtaining the advice of a fully qualified person. The publisher, editors, contributors and related parties shall have no responsibility for any actions or omission by any other contributor, con-sultant, editor, or related party. The information published in the magazine is believed to be true and accurate but the SACL cannot accept any legal responsibility for any errors or omissions that may occur or make any warranty for the published materials.

June AviviCindy BartokCindy BusseJuanita BuyakiBluesette CampbellDianne ChristiansonDoug ConnTina FriesenAnn GagnonKellan Gulka-TiechkoNytosha KoberGloria MahussierMike MahussierGreg PloszTracy PattersonSusan QuiringJanice RutherfordKim SandagerTed & Loretta SchugmannTami SmithHeather TetzlaffWilda WallaceMargaret Woods

CELEBRATING 60 YEARSThis year marks the SACL’s 60th year in operation. Over the past 6 decades, the Saskatchewan Asso-ciation for Community Living has been support-ing people with intellectual disabilities all over the province. Please join us in celebrating this amazing milestone and incredible achievement.

6 THE POWER OF ONE PERSON

I N C L U S I O N H E R O

T H E P O W E R O F

ONE PERSONSpiritwood’s Megan Allard shows us how one person can make a difference

THE POWER OF ONE PERSON 7

met Megan Allard two years ago when she had taken the initiative to spread aware-ness of inclusion. Megan was then beginning to find her voice, knowing she had high expectations of herself and her community. Megan’s leadership began when she

decided to develop a document that ex-plained what inclusion means to her. For this Megan received a certificate from her MP Rob Clarke. At that time Megan was also working with the SACL on creating a youth program that talked about inclusion, identified barriers, increased awareness and further developed relationships between students and their classmates. Megan’s work didn’t stop there: in a two year timeframe Megan started Fusion In-clusion in her school, she started working part-time, and she was chosen as one of Canada’s heroes by the Canadian Down Syndrome Society. Youth Coordinator Carolyn Ganes has worked closely with Megan and explains, “Megan has been a huge part of the success that our programs have had in her com-munity of Spiritwood. She has taken on a leadership role with our Fusion Inclusion program, which promotes inclusion beyond 9-3. She helps us promote events in her school, and helps us on the event day to make sure it runs smoothly. Her involve-ment with SACL programs is just a small part of what Megan does in her commu-nity.” Megan’s mom Shelley says, “Fusion In-clusion has been such a success in Spirit-wood. It has actually brought Megan to a true friendship.” Through Fusion Inclusion Megan met Sydney Hunt. Their friendship started at the Fusion Inclusion event, then

grew to bowling two days a week and to horseback riding. “When I see Sydney and Megan togeth-er, it’s a joy,” says Shelley. “I see no barriers, I see no judgment; I see two girls respecting each other. If one girl isn’t sure what is go-ing on they ask each other, they share and its truly heartwarming.” When asked what she likes about Fusion Inclusion Megan says, “To be in a group of people. I like meeting new people like Syd-ney.” FUNDRAISING CHAMPIONMegan has also taken a lead fundraiser role for the SACL. “This past year, Megan took the lead and initiated a clothing drive at her school,” says Carolyn. “Showing incredible leadership and work ethic, Megan called

on friends and family as well as her church community and collected 20 boxes for the drive, but didn’t stop there. Her actions in-spired others at her school to take part and resulted in a huge success. In a community of just over 900 people, Megan’s clothing drive collected over 90 bags of clothing to be donated to Community Living.” SACL programs like Fusion Inclusion depend on dedicated volunteers like Me-gan. Thank you Megan for being a leader, raising money, and making inclusion be-yond 9-3 possible in your community. Shelley tells us, “My hopes and dreams

for Megan is that she is happy, finds paid employment and is successful with that. That Megan continues to be the advocate that she is, and will take chances and fail if she needs to and learn from that. That she continues to support the organizations that support her. My hopes and dreams are no different for Megan than for my son Nich-olas.” The Canadian Down Syndrome Society chooses individuals who show all people how to see the ability. Megan was chosen as a hero because of her leadership and commitment to inclusion in Saskatchewan. Megan gives to the community, she always tries her best, she makes the world a better place, and she chooses to help other people.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A HEROIn response to being chosen as a hero Me-gan explained, “A hero is a brave or good person. My brother Nicholas is my hero. He inspires me to do my best when I play badminton, when I use the racket he gave me to play with. He was a provincial mixed doubles bronze medalist. He is also my in-spiration as I practice for the drama festi-val as part of the tech group. Nicholas was awarded a certificate of merit for technical props at provincials. Nicholas and I bake together. My mom calls me a hero because I help people and volunteer to help others.

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Megan gives to the community, she always tries her best, she makes the world a better place, and she chooses to help other people.

BONNIE CHEREWYK

8 THE POWER OF ONE PERSON

It is important to try your best to pass your grade. It is important to treat people well and to show respect. It can be a lot of fun when you help others and you meet a lot of different people. I want people to know that I am capable of many different things.” When asked what it feels like to be

named a Canadian Down Syndrome Hero, Megan says “To be happy and proud and awesome!” Megan, I am proud of the beautiful and strong woman you are becoming. I also think you are pretty awesome!

90 Bags and Counting!Megan poses with two Community Living drivers after completing her incredibly successful clothing drive.

Megan and Mom (Shelley)

CAN’T STOP, WON’T STOP. Megan is having an amazing year. Everywhere she goes, she’s be-ing recognized for all of the incred-ible things she does. This fall, she was a focus of our 2015 Inclusion Breakfast video and featured on the Breakfast program in a beautiful, full-page black and white photo. Not only that, Megan has also been named one of Saskatchewan’s Junior Citizens of the Year for 2015! It’s a huge honour that’s only given out to four recipients each year. Megan will be presented with the award on November 3rd in Re-gina at Government House. Con-grats Megan, and keep up the good work! We’re all looking forward to what you’ll do next and continuing to follow your inspiring story.

INCLUSION IS CHURCHBRIDGE 9

At Churchbridge Public School, Inclusion is a natural part of everyday life. The school prides itself on making every single effort to be inclusive, extending beyond the walls of the school and out into the small com-munity of Chuchbridge, Saskatchewan. Churchbridge Public School is propo-nent of in-class supports rather than the pull-out model. This inclusive approach en-sures that all of their students learn together and engage with each other. The school has implemented a “Circle of Friends” program within each classroom where peers take turns each supporting and interacting with students with intellectual disabilities. It’s an approach that has seen incredible success. The students who take part in the Circle of Friends program not only form bonds with their fellow students with disabilities, but also celebrate and share in the excitement of their acomplishments.

The school’s method of i n c l u s i v e e d u c a t i o n has had pro-found ef-fects on the C h u r c h -bridge co-munity as a whole. Outside of school, the students continue to develop their peer relationships at local hockey games, during swimming lessons, and on evening bike rides. Thanks to the school’s ability to foster relationships between students with intellectual disabil-ities and their peers, Churchbridge has be-come a fully inclusive community. Kara Waynert, the mother of Matthew Waynert, says that her son “has always been seated amongst his peers, with his

classmates often offering encouragement and praising him when he is sucessful.” She adds, “Matthew’s teachers have always planned his curriculum to coincide with what the class is learning about.” Church-brige Public School is doing amazing work and the SACL is happy to call them the Inclusion School of the year.

Juanita Buyaki presents Churchbridge Public School’s Cindy Basken and Susan Brenner the 2015 Inclusion School Award.

INCLUSION IS:CHURCHBRIDGE MEET THE WINNER OF THE 2015 INCLUSION SCHOOL AWARD.

TRAVIS NEUFELDCommunications Manager

Churchbridge School Students

D O N A T E C L O T H E S

CHANGE LIVES

Meet the people behind Community Living

and their new campaign.

DONATE CLOTHES CHANGE LIVES 11

t first glance, you might not recognize the new Community Living. Seemingly overnight, they’ve updated their

look and taken Community Living to a whole new level. Their new appearance, complete with a bold yellow background covered with large white letters that read “DONATE CLOTHES CHANGE LIVES,” can now be seen on their trucks, bins, buildings, and even the employees themselves. It’s a new mantra that they want everyone around Saskatchewan to understand: if you donate clothes to Com-munity Living, you will change lives. For over 25 years, Community Living has been collecting clothing and gently used household items as a means of raising

money to help individuals with intellectu-al disabilities throughout Saskatchewan. They take all of the money they raise and give it to the Saskatchewan Association for Community Living. From here, the mon-ey is used to fund a number of the SACL’s initiatives and supports. For the SACL, the money raised by Community Living is a critical component of operations, and adds up to 25% of the SACL’s yearly operating budget. Needless to say, Community Liv-ing is a huge part of the SACL. At the outset of 2015 Community Liv-

ing decided to refresh and renew the Com-munity Living look. Community Living would adopt the yellow used on their bins all across the board to create a uniformed look and put “Donate Clothes Change Lives” (DCCL) on absolutely everything. To have the new slogan on not only the do-nation bins themselves, but also the trucks, buildings, and uniforms means that no matter where in the province they might be, they are spreading the message. Upon the launch of the new look, Com-muniy Living also ran a marketing cam-paign over the summer that included bill-boards, a brand new website (theyellowbin.com), and a revitalized dona-tion centre storefront. “It’s been a success. The DCCL campaign has given Com-munity Living greater visibility and more

awareness in the eyes of the public” says General Manager Rob Drummond. “Peo-ple notice Community Living more now due to the campaign. Along with the co-lourful branding, we want people to take more notice of why Community Living is doing this... to support people with intel-lectual disabilities here in Saskatchewan.” As part of the campaign, Communi-ty Living has expanded their bin presence around the province. “Community Living now has over 100 clothing donation bins across the province, but the need is great so

From left to right: Stephanie Wiederspohn (Admin Assis-tant), Danielle Sturgeon (Admin Assistant), Korrine Konnor (Operations Supervisor), Graham Macknak (Operations Manager).

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“People notice Community Living more now due to the campaign. Along with the colourful branding, we want people to take more notice of why Community Living is doing this.”

Community Living’s (CL) yellow colour has been a part of the organization since its early beginnings. While CL has always had yellow bins, they haven’t embraced the colour on everything until recently. For CL, yellow is an important colour that rep-resents both its history and the values the organization is trying to promote. According to popular colour theory, yellow is associated with joy, happiness, and energy. It’s a colour used to evoke pleas-ant and cheerful feelings. In addition, it’s a colour that demands attention and is impossible to miss.

COLOUR THEORY

12 DONATE CLOTHES CHANGE LIVES

we are searching for more sites,” says Rob. They have bins not only in large cities like Regina and Saskatoon but also in smaller, rural communities. The campaign and new look has treated Community Living well, and now they are looking into the next phase of their mar-keting plan and in particular at finding ways to promote clothing drives - one of the most successful methods of collecting donations. Community Living arranges

clothing drives by partnering with organi-zations in the community to help promote the drive. Once the drive is complete, Com-munity Living splits all of the proceeds with the organization - making it ideal for sports teams, clubs, and schools who need to raise funds. “It’s so much easier than selling cookie dough or chocolate bars and doesn’t make you break your piggy bank to donate. Pick a date with us, communicate it to your network (tell 2 friends and so on)

and Community Living pretty much does the rest,” says Rob. For more information about Communi-ty Living, making a donation, or schedul-ing a donation pickup call 1-877-477-2171. For more information about Community Living’s clothing drives or if you know a location that could use a yellow donation bin, call Rob directly at (306) 649-6288 to discuss.

DONATE CLOTHES CHANGE LIVES 13

MEET JEFF:ONE OFCOMMUNITYLIVING’S DRIVERSOn a sunny October afternoon, I went for a short ride with one of Community Living’s drivers, Jeff Tweed, to get a first-hand look at all the hard work that goes into collecting donations. Whether it’s raining, snowing, or blisteringly hot, Community Living’s drivers are there collect-ing clothes almost every single day. They drive throughout the province in big yellow trucks that are impossible to miss and col-lect clothing that is left for them in bags on door steps, driveways, sidewalks, and of course in the yellow donation bins. After about the first 30 min-utes on the job, I quickly realize that this is no easy task. At ev-ery stop, and there are many, Jeff hops out of the truck, collects a donation and then climbs back in just to do it all over again. It goes on like this all day. For Jeff, getting in and out of the truck is a breeze, which is much more

than I can say for myself. Collecting dona-tions is a physically demanding process for someone who works in an office all day. Jeff is a calm and collected type of in-dividual. Throughout my ride-along, he speaks here and there, but not as much as I’m used to. You can tell that he enjoys life on the road. In the truck he’s definitely in his element. When I ask him what his fa-vourite part of the job is, he tells me that he likes the independence and the opportunity to plan out his day. More than that, he tells

me that it’s great to be part of helping indi-viduals with intellectual disabilities. In another life, Jeff was an English teach-er in Japan. He lived overseas for a total of 20 years before returning to Canada. Now, a few years after landing on Canadian soil, Jeff is making change for individuals with intellectual disabilities at every stop.

Driving the “big yellow truck” is quite a departure from teaching in a foreign land, but it’s a welcome change for Jeff. From his perspective, collecting donations is a great job that comes with the added perk of mak-ing a difference in people’s lives. Collecting donations is a tough job, but hugely important work. We’re incred-ibly fortunate to have Jeff (and all of the other Community Living drivers) to brave the elements and stop at nothing to ensure that every last donation is collected. Thank you Jeff and the rest of the drivers for all that you do!

All in a Day’s WorkJeff Tweed talks about what it means to be a Community Living driver during a pickup

in the Stonebridge Area of Saskatoon.

TRAVIS NEUFELDCommunications Manager

14 Q & A WITH THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES

PEOPLE BEFORE SYSTEMSTHE SACL TALKS TO THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES ABOUT THEIR NEW APPROACH TO INTELLECTUAL DISABILITIES IN SASKATCHEWAN

ollowing the release of the Disability Strategy in June, the SACL con-nected with the Minister of Social Services, the

Honourable Donna Harpauer and Assis-tant Deputy Minister, Disability Programs Bob Wihlidal to find out more about their strategy and new approach to intellectual disabilities in Saskatchewan.

What motivated the Government to make Saskatchewan the best place to live for persons with disabilities? Making Saskatchewan the best place to live for persons with disabilities was first announced in the Saskatch-

ewan Plan for Growth in October of 2012. Growth of the province is not just for the sake of growth. Growth creates opportuni-ties for the province to do more and be in a better position to support citizens who may be more vulnerable, marginalized and less able than others. The “best place in Cana-da” may be lofty, but it is a vision intended to inspire and a vision that we can all as-pire to. The progress and improvements we have seen in recent years are very encour-

aging (e.g. 440 Waitlist, SAID, Valley View transition)

How has the Disability Strategy been re-ceived in Government? The Disability Strategy was provided to Minister Harpauer and released publicly on June 22, 2015. At that

time, the Minister noted that she would be taking the summer months to review the strategy with her Cabinet colleagues and would provide a government response to the strategy in the fall of 2015. The strategy consultation and recommendations were led and developed by the 15 member Citi-zen Consultation Team who did a tremen-dous job in engaging over 1,600 people in the process. Additionally, the consultations and strategy development also had a great deal of collaboration and involvement with officials from seven different ministries (Social Services, Health, Education, Ad-vanced Education, Economy, Justice, and Government Relations).

While the Provincial Government is a key service provider and funder for many programs and a wide range of supports, the Strategy calls for action from all sec-tors (public, private and non-profit) and all citizens. The Provincial Government is currently reviewing the suggested ”where to start” actions and possible investment or change initiatives to determine priorities that can be best managed in the short term, the next 2-3 years and others that may take even more time.

What does “people before systems” mean to you?In a few words, it is putting the citizen at the centre of planning. It means designing program rules and pro-

cesses that can give better control to the citizen and make systems accountable to the people they serve. In the public con-sultations through the spring 2014, almost every small table discussion brought up is-sues of confusion, frustration and the need

C O N V E R S AT I O N

Disability StrategyAndrea Lavallee with her son Max speaks at the launch of the Disability Strategy on June

22, 2015 at the Saskatchewan Legislative Building.

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Q & A WITH THE MINISTRY OF SOCIAL SERVICES 15

for navigation. Many times we heard that we should have one “Super” Ministry for all disability programs and services, or at least we should act like one. Programs and min-istries tend to work in siloes in their deliv-ery of services, and we just don’t do a very good job of putting people’s needs before the systems. Actually, when you think about it, disabil-ity is a product of a dynamic relationship between persons’ health conditions and their environment. Today, despite similar or the same “diagnosis,” individuals’ ac-cess to supports and services can vary sig-nificantly. How a person acquires their disability can also have an impact on the services they are eligible for. Environmental factors – such as attitude, systems, processes and

policies – are all factors that contribute to the experience of disability. If we can adjust or even alter these environmental factors/impacts, we can change a person’s expe-rience of disability. What this will require are things like horizontal planning, shifting our focus to needs and services delivered based on the impact and not the diagnosis. We tend to have a “one size fits all” de-sign mentality, and the result is that people are accountable to program rules, process-es and controls. Putting the citizen/person at the centre of the program design and offering more custom solutions based on individual needs will result in more things like Individualized Funding and/or Self-Di-rected Funding.

Why do you think the enrollment in SAID has been successful? Actually, SAID got off to a slow start in 2009-10. Some people were appre-hensive about what the new program

was and what the rules may do to their cur-rent supports. It certainly took some time to “ramp up” and get people enrolled as well as getting staff trained and familiar with the new program. The success of the disability income support consultations, which were

done prior to the creation of SAID, helped us to design an approach for developing a community led program. The consulta-tions allowed us to really hear what a new income support program should look like for the future in Saskatchewan. We have carefully followed the report recommen-dations and the ongoing advice of PIAT (the Program Implementation Advisory Team). Once the benefit increases were an-nounced over four years ($200 increase in year 1 and $50 each year for the next three years for single individuals), we really saw an increase in enrollment. SAID has also been very successful in removing the stig-ma of welfare for those with significant and enduring disabilities. Interestingly, SAID is a new program where we do use an ‘impact assessment’

to determine eligibility for entry into the program. The assessment is done using a survey and assessment “tool” designed specifically for this purpose. This assess-ment process is delivered outside of gov-ernment by the Saskatchewan Abilities Council (SAC). By combining our collective resources, ideas, talent, experience and perspectives, we extend capacity, creativity and innova-tion. Our experiences in collaboration in re-cent years, involving SAID, Valley View and the Disability Strategy, have been invari-ably positive and have invariably created stronger, more sustainable products that are better informed about citizen or client needs. I also think that by collaborating, the community has a sense of ownership of the results and will be supportive and un-derstanding should any bumps in the road occur.

What benefits have community brought to the table? Community often brings inescap-able and practical evidence of what is needed, what works, what doesn’t

work and why. It takes time and patience to listen to each other. The citizen or client voice in design decisions is critical to suc-

cess and is always worth the extra time and effort. We have found that relationships we have built by working together to common program objectives have created significant trust, which we have found transfers to new projects and joint ventures. I think a perfect example is when, in late 2011 and early 2012, SACL, People First and the Valley View Centre Family Group raised concerns with the Provincial Government about the future and sustain-ability of Valley View Centre (VVC). It was, and is, an aging facility, and one of the few remaining large institutions in Canada that provides residence for people with intellec-tual disabilities. It seemed inevitable that a decision would need to be made to close VVC, and it was important that any changes in homes for the residents should be man-aged carefully, deliberately and with the full involvement of residents and families in person-centred planning. The Provincial Government agreed that proactive and collaborative planning was needed. The leadership of the VVC fami-ly group, SACL and MSS merged in a joint steering committee to oversee planning and recommendations for the transition of VVC residents to new community based homes. A new safety net service system has also been designed and implemented, and in 2015-16 we estimate 32 of the res-idents will transition to new homes in typ-ical houses, in typical neighborhoods. The transitions follow person-centred transi-tion and support plans that give the great-est possible voice, control and choice to the residents and families.

What challenges are there to working with community stakeholders?Building trust is essential, but mutual trust takes time. Trust is delicate; it must be nurtured carefully and pro-

tected because it can erode in an instant. Listening and being prepared to influence and being influenced requires patience and time. To listen and be open to influence, we must suspend our belief that we already know it all. In collaborative planning, both parties will learn new and sometimes sur-prising things. This means leadership - on both sides – must accept and embrace that vulnerability. But with genuine, mutual re-spect, we do find the space for collabora-tion.

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BONNIE CHEREWYK

By combining our collective resources, ideas, talent, experience and perspectives, we extend capacity, creativity and innovation.

16 THE 2015 INCLUSION BREAKFAST

The Power of Inclusion - SaskTelAt last year’s Inclusion Breakfast, Jerad Hofmeister made a connection with SaskTel management who were also in attendance. A year later, Jared can be seen sitting with his manager and co-workers at the 2015 Inclusion Breakfast.

THE 2015

INCLUSION BREAKFAST

THE 2015 INCLUSION BREAKFAST 17

hat is Inclusion? It’s the power to change someone’s life, by help-ing them to take their place in the world. It’s the power of ordinary

people with diverse abilities, working to-gether, to do extraordinary things. On October 1st the SACL demonstrated that power during our 5th Annual Inclusion Breakfast in Saskatoon at the Hilton Gar-den Inn. This “no-ticket charge” event is the SACL’s major fundraiser supporting our work for people with intellectual disabili-ties throughout the province. Through the Breakfast, our guests participated in giving the power of inclusion to those who strug-gle to find it in their lives. How does the SACL raise money when no ticket fee is charged to attend the Breakfast? It’s simple: we share our stories. When people with intellectual disabilities are included, their lives are changed forev-er. These stories invite a powerful, generous response from our guests. You could feel the energy in the room! As one guest said, “The stories are so memorable. People with intellectual disabilities should be included – they feel happiness, love, meaning in life when we open our hearts and make more room for them.” The Inclusion Breakfast was a huge suc-cess with over 300 guests in attendance and over $130,000 raised! The SACL greeted guests with a dynamic, engaging look fea-turing images of the people we support in all décor and printed material. Our suc-cess was a team effort; 43 dedicated table hosts filled the room with their colleagues, business partners and other friends. The SACL’s volunteers greeted guests with a token of our appreciation, handing out a hand-crafted caramel made by one of our

speakers, Emmy Barr, the Queen of Car-amel. The event featured two videos, pro-duced in-house by the SACL, and four personal and touching testimonies which engaged the audience. Finally, Professor Brent Cotter shared his powerful personal testimony and invited everyone to join the inclusion movement! We thought our 4th Annual Inclu-sion Breakfast was our best ever: how do you top it? Our generous volunteer Table Hosts and our many sponsors (see inside of back cover) who introduced their friends to the SACL are a big part of the success. In addition, we want to acknowledge the leadership of Dr. Ronan Conlon of Conlon Eye Institute. A few years ago, Dr. Conlon came to an Inclusion Breakfast, and learned

about the difference the SACL was making in the lives of the people we support. With a leadership gift of $10,000 Dr. Conlon leads the way in making a differ-ence for individuals with intellectual dis-abilities and their families in this province. Finally, we also had something fun this year: a $5,000 challenge gift from Scotia-bank at the Saskatoon Center Mall, to en-courage multi-year donations. All of these ingredients came together in a powerful way to make this the best Inclusion Break-fast ever! Thank you to everyone who made the Inclusion Breakfast a success!

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“I felt like a window was opened into a new world . . . these are people I want to get to know, families I want to support.”

CONNIE ANDERSENDirector of Community Development

“Who could be indifferent to these

stories?”

DR. CONLON’S BIG GIFTAt this year’s Breakfast, Dr. Ronan Conlon of the Conlon Eye Institute pledged $10,000 to the SACL. His generous gift was recognized at the Breakfast by his personal presentation of the cheque at the event.

CARAMEL FOR EVERYONE!The Queen of Caramel herself was at the Breakfast sharing her story and handing out a sample of her iconic candy to everyone in the room.

18 EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH FRIENDSHIP

he Saskatchewan Asso-ciation for Community Living (SACL) Manag-er of Inclusion, Megan Wells has been support-

ing self-advocates across the province to develop their self-advocacy skills and be-come leaders in their community. Building on this momentum, the SACL hosted a self-advocacy retreat at Buffalo Pound Pro-vincial Park on August 14-15. The purpose of this retreat was to learn, make friends and have fun, but most importantly to em-power self-advocacy. A specific area the group focused on was supported decision-making. They outlined the decision making process and role-played to demonstrate what supported decision-making looks like. Megan asked everyone to think of what you want, tell

people in your life what you want, and think of people you trust to support you. The in-dividuals that support you should help you think through the decision-making pro-cess, help communicate your decisions, take guidance from you, keep your best interests at heart, and remain confidential unless a

decision could harm you. One individual I spoke to told me about a recent decision

he made. I then made a comment that it wasn’t the healthiest choice and he told me, “It doesn’t matter, it’s my decision.” He was absolutely right. This past year, the SACL Self-Advoca-cy program partnered with the Ministry of Social Services to develop a plain language

version of the Comprehensive Person-al Planning and Support Policy (CPP &

Get Fit and Have Fun!Youth/Family Coordinator Carolyn Ganes leads everyone through the day’s stretches at Camp Buffalo.

EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH FRIENDSHIP

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THE PURPOSE OF THIS RETREAT WAS TO LEARN, MAKE FRIENDS AND HAVE

FUN, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY TO EMPOWER SELF-ADVOCACY

EMPOWERING INDIVIDUALS THROUGH FRIENDSHIP 19

SP). CPP & SP is a key policy individuals should understand and be aware of because it directs how the Ministry will support people. Megan and Self-Advocate Tina Friesen shared the plain lan-guage version with other self-advocates at the retreat. Tina has been a part of the SACL S e l f - A d v o -cacy program for over 10 years. Through her involvement with the SACL she has become a leader in Saskatchewan and last spring Tina was elected as a SACL board member. Tina said, “I want to make sure our voice is heard and no one is left out.” Tina has also been involved with Ready Set Go, a Self-Advocacy initiative at the Valley View Centre (VVC) in Moose Jaw. Tina first met Jane – an individual living at VVC - last year when Tina presented at Ready Set Go about living in the community, and

her experience accessing supports. They bonded instantly! Jane and Tina had more opportunities to connect at the SACL Annual Family Con-

ference and most recently at the retreat. I asked Jane what she likes about Tina and she said, “Tina looks so glamorous!” They have been sharing fashion tips and keep-ing each other updated about their lives-through emails. Even though Jane is plan-ning to move to a new home in Moose Jaw and Tina lives in Regina, they still plan to visit each other lots. Jane and Larry - who both attended the retreat – are currently taking cooking classes. At the retreat Jane shared her love

of cooking macaroni and cheese, and Larry was able to use his cooking skills by help-ing barbeque hotdogs and hamburgers for everyone. The sharing and participation of

everyone at the retreat was truly meaningful. This was the first time I attended a Self-Ad-vocacy retreat and I was honoured to spend a day talking and learning with this group of communi-ty leaders. They inspired me through their passion

and the respect they showed one another. From this, I have a deeper perspective of the power of inclusion and I hope you also have the opportunity to hear their message. One comment I found especially mean-ingful was when Diane said, “I was really shy before, but the Self-Advocacy program helped me find my voice and use it.”

Let the Good Times RollDirector of Inclusion Nich Fraser never misses an opportunity for bunny ears.

BONNIE CHEREWYK

“I WAS REALLY SHY BEFORE,BUT THE SELF-ADVOCACY PROGRAM

HELPED ME FIND MY VOICEAND USE IT”

20 MY DREAM JOB

eady, Willing and Able (RWA) is a new 3-year pilot project and part-nership between the Canadian Association

for Community Living (CACL) and the Canadian Autism Spectrum Disorder Al-liance. This initiative is funded by the Gov-ernment of Canada and is active in 20 com-munities across the country. In October 2014, the Saskatchewan As-sociation for Community Living (SACL) hired Sheila Anderson – then Manager of Employment, Education and Transition –as Director of Employment Initiatives to lead the RWA initiative in Prince Albert and Saskatoon. Sheila’s role is to meet with employers to increase employment oppor-tunities for individuals with intellectual disabilities and autism spectrum disorder. She then facilitates the connection between employment agencies and job seekers. Sheila met Jerad when he was in high school. At that time he was having social difficulties and his parents were eager to ex-plore other options. Sheila invited Jerad to become involved with the SACL. He start-ed to participate in SACL social programs and the self-advocacy group. Jerad also be-came engaged with the SACL Inclusion Tours; telling guests about his story and journey as a young man with high func-tioning autism. Once Jerad finished high school he was ready to enter the workforce. Jerad told the SACL, “I’ve been trying to find the best job for me for the last 5 years. I found it was very hard to get a job because of my disability.” Last year Jerad accepted the opportunity to speak at the SACL’s 4th annual Inclu-

sion Breakfast on October 1, 2014. Kevan McBeth from SaskTel attended the break-fast and was very impressed with Jerad and his technological abilities. He expressed interest in learning more about Jerad and whether his skill-set would match an em-ployment opportunity with SaskTel. In Jerad’s words, “At the Inclusion Breakfast last year I got the chance to finally meet the connections I needed to get the job… my dream job.” After the SACL Inclusion Breakfast, Sheila worked with both Jerad and Sask-Tel to create an employment opportunity. The team looked at what accommodations Jerad might need to be successful. Jerad took an online exam to see where his skill set was. He aced it! The next step was for SaskTel to devise a job for Jerad that would allow him to contribute his skills and meet SaskTel’s needs. After the union approved the new job description, Jerad received an official employment offer with SaskTel. That was a very exciting day! Ashley Duh, the SACL Employment, Education and Transitions Facilitator then joined the team to support Jerad while he is working. Ashely hired a job coach, and facilitated a meeting with Jerad, his par-ents, Sheila, the job coach and the SaskTel team. Sheila explained supportive employ-ment and the role of the job coach. Jerad explained his high functioning autism, and discussed how his coworkers and manager could best support him in the workplace. Jerad started working 3 days a week in March 2015. Jerad’s Manager, Danielle Levesque said, “Jerad comes to us with a great expertise of technology. He has the education that is required for a job here in

the Customer Service Centre. Jerad began training with one of our senior technicians and picked up the technology amazing-ly well. The trainers have said, ‘this is easy training Jerad’.” “The SACL has worked with SaskTel,” explained Danielle. “They helped us with a job coach for Jerad. We utilized the job coach for a couple months, and slowly put that job coach out of a job. The SACL has been great for us to touch base with ques-tions or concerns, or any feedback that we need.” The job coach supported Jerad in learn-ing his job expectations, but early in the process it became clear that Jerad was inde-pendent and was successfully meeting his employment objectives. “It has given me a lot more leeway in terms of what I can do because my skills are always getting more finely attuned and I can use that to help a lot more people,” said Jerad. Jerad and SaskTel both explored a new opportunity that gave Jerad a career and SaskTel a valuable employee. RWA and the SACL believe that with the right match and the right level of sup-ports, individuals with intellectual disabili-ties or autism spectrum disorder can make dedicated and efficient employees. This un-tapped resource has the potential to be an asset for employers and businesses across Canada.

For more information on RWA please visit readywillingable.ca.

BONNIE CHEREWYK

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MY DREAM JOBTHE SACL HELPS JERAD FIND HIS DREAM JOB AT SASKTEL

Jerad in his element at SaskTel

CELEBRATING INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT 21

t the SACL we annually recog-nize an outstanding Inclusive employer, not just because they hire someone with a disability, but because they make signif-

icant contributions to the promotion of full citizenship in the labour market for individuals with disabilities. Robb Theriault is one of these employ-ers. Formally the manager of Superstore’s 8th Street location, he now runs Robb’s No Frills on 22nd Street Saskatoon. In the summer of 2013, Denae Upton

was determined to work in the community. With the help of her mom Diane, Denae went in search of a job. Resume in hand, she applied at 8th Street Superstore in Saskatoon. Robb Theriault happened to be at the front and saw her dropping off her resume. He asked her to come on over and talk to him about her qualifications. She was hired part time working 12-20 hours a week cleaning shelves and other duties as required. With the help of the SACL, a job coach was hired and placed to support

Denae in learning the tasks at hand and to become independent. Robb also took on the role himself as he personally coached Denae and help her set up routines. All while he encouraged her and provided positive feedback for her hard work. With his guidance and care, she learned her job and soon became independent. Denae interacts well with customers and the staff, and she has made many workplace friends. The highlight during her day is coffee breaks with the staff as they treat her with respect and they share

in conversations and laughs. It is very apparent that Loblaw Com-panies Limited and Robb Theriault share a belief in a diversified workforce and promote an environment of inclusiveness. Robb has helped develop an employment culture that sees all employees as equals, no matter the limitations they have. Abili-ty not disability.

CELEBRATING INCLUSIVE EMPLOYMENT. NO FRILLS OWNER ROBB THERIAULT SHOWS US WHAT IT MEANS TO BE AN INCLUSIVE EMPLOYER

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SHEILA ANDERSONDirector of Employment Initiatives

Robb also took on the role himself as he personally coached Denae and help her set up routines. All while he encouraged her and provided positive feedback for her hard work.

BUILDING AN INCLUSIVEWORKFORCEInclusive hiring is building the workforce of tomorrow, today. There are approximately 500,000 working age adults with intellectu-al disabilities or Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) in Canada, yet only one in four are working. Making a hiring decision should always come down to selecting the best person for the job. Employers across the country are starting to realize that individuals with intellectual disabil-ities or ASD often have exceptional skills that can benefit their busi-ness and boost their bottom line. Effective hiring practices can result in an increase in productivity, im-proved employee engagement and an inspired corporate culture.

22 BIRCH TO THE RESCUE

BIRCH TO THE RESCUE

Best Team EverBrodie Patterson gives Ellen Birch a hug after she receives her award.

HOW ONE EDUCATIONAL ASSISTANT CHANGED A LIFE FOREVER.

he SACL is happy to announce this year’s In-clusion Teacher Award winner as Ellen Birch, an Educational Aid (EA)

from Lloydminister Comprehensive High School. Ellen is a remarkable individual who not only demonstrates the value of in-clusion, but embodies it in everything she does. Known simply as “Birch” or “Birchy,” Ellen has been an EA for Brodie Patterson for the past 7 years. She originally started working with Brodie when he was transi-tioning out of grade 8 and into high school. Brodie’s parents, Tracy & Rob, were con-cerned about his transition from a small school to a much larger high school. They decided to enroll him in a middle school (K-9) in order to give him some time to feel comfortable in a new space with more stu-dents. It was here that Ellen was brought

on as Brodie’s EA. Originally, Ellen was only a temporary EA, but she and Brodie turned out to be a great fit, so she stayed on for the remainder of the year. She understood Brodie’s lan-guage and matched his fun-loving person-ality. She encouraged him to be involved and take part in all of the school’s activi-ties. As a result, Brodie was enrolled in all of the mainstream classes, played basketball and volleyball, attended every school dance. With Ellen’s support, he tried things that he had never tried before. Once the school year ended and Bro-die transitioned to the much larger high school, Rob & Tracy decided to keep Ellen on as his EA. Ellen would agree to stay on for one more year to help Brodie transition to the new school, and ended up staying with him for his entire high school career. Soon Brodie attended his cap and gown ceremony, graduated from high school and

moved on to life as an adult. Rob & Tracy were now faced with the challenge of tran-sitioning Brodie into the workforce. Once again, Ellen offered to support Brodie. “Birch to the rescue!” Tracey Patterson says. Brodie got a job at local business and Ellen supported Brodie as a job coach. Three years later, thanks to her guidance and support, Brodie no longer need a job coach and works independently. Thanks to Ellen’s support, Brodie suc-cessfully navigated high school and grew into a fully independent working adult. He’s also grown as an individual. He’s con-fident and not afraid to try new things. It is for these reasons, and so many more that Ellen Birch is the SACL’s 2015 Inclusion Teacher of the Year.

A SPECIAL THANK

YOU

While The SACL receives many nom-inations, we can only give out one award per year for both Inclusion Teacher and Inclusion School. We’d like to take this opportunity to thank all of those who were nominated for our award for all of the amazing work that they do. In particular, The SACL would like to highlight the work of two

nominees: Lucille Gilliland (Executive Director of Southwest Day Care) and Leah Sisson (Tisdale Middle School).

TRAVIS NEUFELDCommunications Manager

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If you would like to share your suc-cess or challenge about Inclusion in the classroom, please contact Nich Fraser at nicholas.fraser@sacl.org

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